Yes, the prayer hall | Episode (16) | What is the reward for praying in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque?

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:04 We are a sun that never sets.

0:07 Should the caller summon us, we respond.

0:10 We shall restore the truth, whole and intact.

0:13 We shall grant victory to the beloved Al-Aqsa.

0:16 In it, the best of creation prayed.

0:20 It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

0:23 It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

0:26 It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

0:31 What is the reward for prayer in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque?

0:35 By divine wisdom,

0:41 Allah, glory be to Him and Exalted is He, has singled out

0:43 and favored certain places over others.

0:46 He chose them for worship and the realization of Tawhid (monotheism),

0:50 magnified their reward, elevated their status,

0:53 and raised their standing.

0:55 Among the greatest of these are the three mosques,

0:57 the inseparable siblings,

1:00 linked historically, doctrinally,

1:03 spiritually, and emotionally to one another:

1:07 the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram),

1:09 the Prophet’s Mosque,

1:11 and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

1:13 For it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

1:16 that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

1:20 "Do not undertake a journey to visit any mosques, but three:

1:24 the Sacred Mosque,

1:26 the Mosque of the Messenger, peace be upon him,

1:30 and Al-Aqsa Mosque."

1:32 This hadith contains a general encouragement to travel and set out

1:37 for the purpose of worship and drawing near to Allah, the Almighty,

1:41 in these noble sites,

1:44 due to their unique status,

1:47 and the honor bestowed upon them by Allah, the Almighty.

1:50 Thus, there is no merit in undertaking a journey for the sake of worship to any other place.

1:56 It is narrated from Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

1:59 "We were discussing while in the presence of the Messenger of Allah,

2:02 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which is better:

2:06 the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

2:10 or the Mosque of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)?"

2:12 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, replied:

2:16 "One prayer in this mosque of mine

2:19 is better than four prayers in it,

2:22 and what an excellent place of prayer it is!

2:24 A time will soon come when a man will have a plot of land the size of his horse's tether,

2:30 from which he can see Bayt al-Maqdis,

2:33 and that will be better for him than the entire world,"

2:36 or he said, "better than the world and all that is in it."

2:40 Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, said regarding this hadith:

2:44 "It is the most authentic report concerning the virtue of prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque."

2:49 Since a prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque

2:52 is equal to a thousand prayers elsewhere,

2:55 then a prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque

2:58 is equal to two hundred and fifty prayers elsewhere,

3:01 excluding the Sacred Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.

3:05 This is a great virtue and a massive reward,

3:09 that the rak'ah and the prayer therein are multiplied two hundred and fifty times,

3:14 encompassing both obligatory and voluntary prayers.

3:18 And so that no one might think that this differentiation in the reward of prayer

3:22 in terms of number between the three mosques

3:25 diminishes the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque,

3:28 the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said thereafter:

3:32 "And what an excellent place of prayer it is!"

3:34 to clarify its status and rank in Islamic law.

3:39 The superiority of the mosque is derived from the superiority of the location.

3:44 That is why he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said in the hadith before us:

3:49 "And what an excellent place of prayer it is!"

3:51 It contains praise and commendation, highlighting the importance of prayer and worship therein,

3:57 and that the living, faithful souls

4:00 remain longing for that place,

4:03 no matter how circumstances change or conditions fluctuate.

4:07 From 'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with them both,

4:11 from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he said:

4:16 "When Sulayman Ibn Dawud (Solomon, son of David) finished building Bayt al-Maqdis,

4:21 he asked Allah for three things:

4:23 a judgment that coincides with His judgment,

4:26 a kingdom the likes of which no one would have after him,

4:30 and that no one should come to this mosque intending only to pray in it

4:35 without emerging from his sins like the day his mother gave birth to him."

4:39 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

4:43 "As for two, he has been granted them,

4:46 and I hope he has been granted the third."

4:50 This is a magnificent hadith,

4:52 demonstrating the great virtue and abundant reward for worship and prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque,

4:58 and that this supplication coming from the Prophet-King Sulayman, whose prayers were answered,

5:04 serves as an additional merit and further honor and distinction for this place.

5:11 The hadith points to an important historical era in the history of this ancient mosque,

5:19 when Sulayman, peace be upon him, renovated and restored its structure,

5:24 as has been known and practiced from antiquity to this very day.

5:30 Kings and leaders continue to care for the construction, renovation, and restoration of important holy sites,

5:38 such as the Sacred Mosque, the Prophet’s Mosque, and Al-Aqsa,

5:42 to prepare the atmosphere and secure them,

5:45 and for these places to appear in their most beautiful attire and finest view,

5:50 to achieve a spiritual atmosphere in which reward and recompense are sought from Allah.

5:57 Ibn Taymiyyah said:

5:59 "For this reason, Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, would come to it and pray there,

6:05 and he would not even drink water there,

6:07 so that he might attain the supplication of Sulayman, peace be upon him,"

6:11 due to the phrase "intending only to pray in it,"

6:15 for this requires sincerity of intention in traveling to it,

6:19 and that one does not come for a worldly purpose or an innovation.

6:23 From Hudhayfah Ibn al-Yaman, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

6:28 "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

6:32 'There is no i'tikaf (seclusion for worship) except in the three mosques:

6:36 the Sacred Mosque,

6:38 the Mosque of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

6:42 and the Mosque of Bayt al-Maqdis.'"

6:45 I'tikaf is standing, remaining, persevering, and residing in worship.

6:51 This adds a new virtue and another merit to the previous ones,

6:57 such as praying in it, praying towards it before the change of the Qiblah,

7:01 visiting it, and staying in it to draw near to Allah.

7:06 All this diversity adds further virtue and honor to this place,

7:11 and encourages its maintenance through obedience and the realization of servitude to Allah, the Almighty.

7:18 Ibn 'Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

7:21 "If this hadith is authentic, then it refers to a complete i'tikaf,"

7:27 meaning that i'tikaf in these mosques is more complete and better than i'tikaf in other mosques,

7:34 just as prayer in them is better than prayer in other mosques.

7:40 It is sufficient for this mosque in terms of virtue, sanctity, and status

7:44 that it is the place of worship for the prophets, the prayer niche of the pious,

7:49 the destination of the chosen, and the site of the miracles of the saints.

7:55 “And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

8:03 He said, "O Maryam, from where did you get this?"

8:09 “And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

8:13 “And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

8:22 An excellent place of prayer.

8:26 We are a sun that never sets.

8:29 Should the caller summon us, we respond.

8:32 We shall restore the truth, whole and intact.

8:36 We shall grant victory to the beloved Al-Aqsa.

8:39 In it, the best of creation prayed.

8:42 It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

8:46 The landing place of the Trustworthy Revelation.

8:49 The mission site for the messengers.

8:52 The Qiblah for the Muslims.

8:55 The destination for the conquerors.

8:58 In it, the best of creation prayed.

9:02 It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

9:05 It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

Yes, the prayer hall | Episode (16) | What is the reward for praying in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque?

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